Regents approve new practice baseball facility

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Board of Regents of Washington State University approved the construction of a new baseball practice facility on the Pullman campus at its regularly scheduled meeting held Friday (March 4) at the WSU Vancouver campus.

The 11,100-square-foot facility will be built adjacent to Bailey-Brayton Field, just east of the indoor football practice facility. It will cost an estimated $700,000 and will be built with athletic department funds. Athletic Director Jim Sterk said the department hopes to build the practice building this summer, if sufficient funds can be raised.

The building will provide space for pitching and batting cages and storage.

The regents also approved construction plans and a budget increase for the renovation of the Rotunda Dining Center. It will be the third campus dining center renovated into a “marketplace” concept with seven separate cooking platforms, which allow the cooking to be done in front of customers to emphasize the food’s freshness.

The project had been approved by the regents earlier, but the new project includes additions to address building code issues, to provide an expanded kitchen area and upgraded air conditioning and other improvements. Total project cost is now estimated at $10.2 million.

The board also approved the possible refunding of the university’s bonds for the parking system, housing and dining system and Student Recreation Center, if long-term rates are low enough to make the move worthwhile.

The regents delayed action on an overall revision of the university’s student conduct code until a future meeting.

The board of regents’ next regularly scheduled meeting is set for May 6 on the Pullman campus.